Auger exhaust construction for forced air grain dryer

ABSTRACT

An auger exhaust construction for a forced air grain dryer includes a perforated screen positioned about the auger on the interior of the grain bin. A box with exhaust vents to the outside of the grain bin is positioned around the auger and the perforated screen to provide a chamber for receiving exhaust air through the screen and directing that exhaust air to the exterior of the bin through the exhaust vents.

United States Patent 1 1 Meiners 14 1 Ju1y17, 1973 AUGER EXHAUST CONSTRUCTION FOR FORCED AIR GRAIN DRYER [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

Elmo R. Meiners, Anchor, 111.

M & W Gear Company, Inc., Gibson City, 111.

22 Filed: Oct. '20, 1971 21 Appi. No.: 190,880

[52] US. Cl. 34/187, 34/137, 34/182, 34/235, 98/55 [51] Int. Cl. F26b 19/00 [58] Field of Search 34/135, 136, 137, 34/166,182,183, 187,164, 108-110, 235; 98/55 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,443,620 6/1948 Hubbard 34/166 2,878,584 3/1959 I Bianchi 34/136 147,662 2/1874 Lloyd 34/135 2,444,383 6/1948 Stynler 1 n 34/182 2,069,164 1/1937 Vogel-Jorgensen... .1 34/137 1,117,720 11/1914 Stone 34/135 Primary ExaminerKenneth W. Spraguc Attorney-A. W. Molinare et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJUL 1 11915 3'. 745.669

INVENTOR: I ELMO R. MEINERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to a vent construction and, more particularly, to a vent construction for the auger feed of a forced air grain dryer.

To increase the value of a grain crop, farmers nowadays often resort to various means for removing moisture from the harvested grain. One of these methods comprises the use of a grain dryer, for example, a dryer of the type shown in Graham U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,297. Typically, such includes dryer incudes a bin having an auger feed along the top to introduce and evenly distribute the grain into the bin. The grain is then dried by forcing hot air through it.

Previously, the forced air flow would cause the grain to clog the auger inlet to the bin. To overcome this clogging, it was necessary to utilize a vane feeder with a hopper at the outside endof the auger feed to the bin. However, even with such a feeder system, the forced air flow within the bin would often clog the auger inlet into the bin. An attempted solution to alleviate this problem called for an exhaust vent in the vane feeder. While this solution provided some relief, it was not entirely satisfactory.

Therefore, it became necessary to devise some means by which air pressure within the bin, particularly in the region of the auger feed could be relieved so that the grain could be evenly fed into and distributed through the bin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a principal aspect, the present invention comprises an improved grain dryer vent construction for a grain dryer of the type having a grain dryer bin with an auger to feed grain into the bin through an inlet. A perforated screen is positioned about the auger and an enclosure is then fixed over the perforated screen. Passages from the enclosure exit to the atmosphere so that air can flow past the auger through the perforated screen into the enclosure and thence out the passages. This prevents undesired back pressure in the region of the auger inlet and-thus makes the grain dryer operate in a more desirable fashion.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved grain dryer.

It is-a further object of the present invention to provide a vent construction for the grain feed mechanism for a grain dryer.

Still one further object of the present invention is to provide a vent construction for a grain dryer which is simple in design, economical to consruct and highly efficient.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following Figures:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a grain dryer which includes the improved vent construction of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vent construction of the grain dryer as shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As previously mentioned, the vent construction of the present invention may be utilized with any type of enclosure wherein a fluid is forced through the enclosure, the fluid in some way interacting with a particular material which is being fed into the enclosure by some feeding means. Typically, this arrangement is utilized in a forced air grain dryer. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,297 discloses a grain dryer of the type with which the presently described invention may be used.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a grain dryer bin 10 which includes a gabled roof or upper section 12 and an end wall 14. In the particular construction illustrated, the roof 12 has a gabled peak 13 with an auger 16 extending parallel to the axis of the gable peak 13. The auger 16 extends from a hopper 18 along the length of the roof 12 of the bin 10.

The auger 16 rotates about an axle or shaft 20 which is joumaled at one end in a bearing 22 fastened to an outside wall 24 of hopper 18. The opposite end of the shaft 20 is likewise joumaled in a bearing (not shown) in the opposite bin wall. The shaft 20 is driven in a manner well known to those in the art to cause the auger 16 to rotate and transport grain poured into the hopper 18 to the interior of the bin 10. Thus, as the bin 10 becomes filled with grain, the grain is transported and dispersed throughout the bin 10 by means of the operation of the auger l6.

The auger 16 extends through a grain inlet 26 in the end wall 14. The inlet 26 includes a flange ring 28 upon which the hopper 18 is mounted by bolts 30 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

In normal operation, a forced air flow is provided in the bin 10. Generally, this air flow will be heated air for drying grain placed in the bin by auger 16. In prior art grain dryers, the forced air flow would, in part, vent through the inlet 26, thus tending to create a blockage at the inlet 26 by preventing the grain from passing therethrough.

With the mechanism of the present invention, an alternative vent path for the forced air flow is provided in the region of the auger inlet 26. Referring particularly to the drawing, the construction includes a cylindrical perforated screen 32 which has an internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the auger 16. Thus, the auger 16 may rotate coaxially with the cylindrical screen 32 to transport grain therethrough to the interior of the bin. The screen 32 is fastened at one end to the inlet 26 and extends inwardly into the interior of the bin. Although the shape of the screen 32 is shown to the cylindrical in the drawing, it is possible to utilize other shapes such as a frustoconical shape wherein the small end of the frustoconical shape is positioned at the inlet 26. Other shapes may be utilized as required.

The screen 32 includes a plurality of perforations 34 therethrough. The perforations or openings 34 are sized to prevent the passage of the particulate material or grain through the passages 34. On the other hand, the perforations or openings 34 do permit air flow therethrough.

An enclosure 35 comprised of side walls 36 and 38, a bottom wall 40 and an interior end wall 42 is positioned about the screen 32 and auger 16 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. The enclosure 35 thus includes a portion of the roof section 12 and the end wall 14 to define a chamber 44 into which air will flow through the openings 34. As further illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of passages 46 are cut through the end wall 14 to vent air flowing into the chamber 44. The size of the passages 46 may be varied or controlled by means of a slidable shutter (not shown) which may be positioned over the passages 46.

Thus, in operation, the forced air flow will pass through the perforations or openings 34 into the chamber 44 to then exit through the openings 46. By this construction, the back pressure at the inlet 26 is eliminated and grain can flow freely from the hopper 18 into the bin by operation of the auger 16. In fact, the construction permits the elimination of a vane feeder which was previously required in place of the hopper 18.

It is to be understood that the subject matter of the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bin having fluid flow therethrough, said bin having a material inlet and means for transporting materials through said inlet into said bin, an improved vent construction for said bin comprising, in combination:

an enclosure within said bin, said enclosure having an inlet coinciding with said material inlet, and an outlet into said bin;

a perforated guide passage from said material inlet to said outlet through said enclosure for guiding material therethrough to said bin, said enclosure surrounding said perforated passage and defining a chamber for receipt of fluid from said first enclosure; and

openings from said enclosure to the outside of said bin for venting said chamber.

2. An improved grain dryer vent construction comprising, in combination:

a grain dryer bin having a grain inlet, an auger to feed grain through said inlet into said bin, a perforated screen on the interior of said bin surrounding said auger and extending from said inlet partially into said bin, and an enclosure surrounding said auger and said screen and having an inlet coincident with said grain inlet and an outlet coincident with the interior terminus of said screen, said enclosure including an exhaust opening to the exterior of said bin.

3. The construction of claim 2 wherein said screen includes perforations sized to prevent passageof grain therethrough.

4. The construction of claim 2 wherein the external radius of said auger is substantially the same as the internal radius of said screen.

5. The construction of claim 2 wherein said auger and screen are co-axial and have substantially constant radii along their common axis.

a: a: =0: a: 

1. In a bin having fluid flow therethrough, said bin having a material inlet and means for transporting materials through said inlet into said bin, an improved vent construction for said bin comprising, in combination: an enclosure within said bin, said enclosure having an inlet coinciding with said material inlet, and an outlet into said bin; a perforated guide passage from said material inlet to said outlet through said enclosure for guiding material therethrough to said bin, said enclosure surrounding said perforated passage and defining a chamber for receipt of fluid from said first enclosure; and openings from said enclosure to the outside of said bin for venting said chamber.
 2. An improved grain dryer vent construction comprising, in combination: a grain dryer bin having a grain inlet, an auger to feed grain through said inlet into said bin, a perforated screen on the interior of said bin surrounding said auger and extending from said inlet partially into said bin, and an enclosure surrounding said auger and said screen and having an inlet coincident with said grain inlet and an outlet coincident with the interior terminus of said screen, said enclosure including an exhaust opening to the exterior of said bin.
 3. The construction of claim 2 wherein said screen includes perforations sized to prevent passage of grain therethrough.
 4. The construction of claim 2 wherein the external radius of said auger is substantially the same as the internal radius of said screen.
 5. The construction of claim 2 wherein said auger and screen are co-axial and have substantially constant radii along their common axis. 